Low Greenhouse Gas Agriculture: Mitigation and Adaptation Potential of Sustainable Farming Systems

Is low greenhouse gas emission (GHG) agriculture possible? Is it, in fact, desirable? In seeking answers to these two basic but extremely relevant questions, this study examines current farming practices, and incorporates scientific databases from longterm field experiments as case studies for low GHG agriculture. Further, the study examines the changes that will be needed for low greenhouse gas agriculture systems to become a reality. It also elucidates the adaptive capacity of agro-ecological farming system approaches, using organic system case studies from the scientific literature. Each year, agriculture emits 10 to 12 percent of the total estimated GHG emissions, some 5.1 to 6.1 Gt CO2 equivalents per year. Smith, et al. (2007) and Bellarby, et al. (2008) have proposed mitigation options for GHG emissions, finding that both farmers and policymakers will face challenges from the GHG-related changes needed in agriculture. Areas for improvement include increased use of no-till cropping, agro-forestry, and integrated crop and animal farming, and decreased use of external inputs in food and agriculture. The techniques offered by organic agriculture are valuable for consideration in these efforts

Diversity, relationships and conservation of Sicilian wild taxa of Brassica: an overview

Although lots of studies have been carried out through various analytical approaches and at different taxonomic levels, this overview reveals that actually a comprehensive biosystematic survey on the Mediterranean wild populations of Brassica oleracea group is still lacking

Conservation of forest biodiversity in Sicily: contribution of the University of Palermo Germplasm Bank (Italy)

Germplasm Banks dedicated to the wild plants seeds conservation play a unique role in integrating the in situ conservation of endemic, rare or endangered plant species. One of the missions of the Seed Bank of the University of Palermo (HBP-Bank) is to support the conservation of biodiversity with particular attention to the spectrum of genetic diversity of plants belonging to Mediterranean habitat. Abies nebrodensis (Lojac.) Mattei is an relict species, consisted of 30 natural individuals, gathered in a small area of the Madonie Natural Park in Sicily (1500 -1600 m above s.l.), recorded on the checklist \u201cTOP 50 Mediterranean Island Plants\u201d. It is also one of eight conifers species critically endangered because of reproductive biology issues. A. nebrodensis species has been monitored in situ in order to evaluate the state of conservation of natural population and to implement the number of individuals. Its preservation has been integrated since 1994 with ex situ conservation of 83 accessions in the HBP-Bank in the long-term conservation conditions. The scientific strength of HBP germplasm collection is supported by the results of several studies on taxonomy, seed biology and genetic diversity. The embryonic loss observed into the seeds produced in natural environment can reduce the genetic variability of germplasm collection. This study, carried out on the A. nebrodensis population, demonstrates that a five-year planning is needed to collect enough seed to represent the genetic variability intra-population. This seed collection scheme can represent a useful tool to apply on other forest endangered species spread in Sicily and in the Mediterranean area

Seed cryopreservation of Fraxinus angustifolia Vahl

Fraxinus angustifolia is used for afforestation and for production of both valuable timber and manna, a substance with pharmacological applications. The aim of this research was to establish the optimized condition for cryopreservation of F. angustifolia seeds, in order to protect the germplasm of this species. Germination percentage and mean time of germination of non-treated seeds (control) and liquid nitrogen-treated seeds were established in water or in 10-6 M gibberellic acid (GA3). The seeds could be cryopreserved with 3% of moisture content (MC) and germinated easily in water (70.0 \ub1 5.0%), while seeds cryopreserved with 6% MC showed a physiological dormancy. This state could be efficiently removed by addition of GA3, which increased germination to 76.0 \ub1 2.4%. Liquid nitrogen did not impair embryo viability, allowing a successful cryopreservation of seeds. The results are particularly useful for both germplasm conservation programs and in narrow leaved ash nurseries

Differences in the activity and distribution of peroxidase from three different portions of germinative Brassica oleracea seeds.

Peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7) activity, cellular localization and isozyme patterns were investigated in the seed integument, cotyledon and embryo axis of Brassica oleracea cv. Cappuccio during pregermination and seedling growth. Seeds started to germinate after 24 h of imbibition. POD activity was localized in the pigmented layer of the integument and in procambial strands of the cotyledon and embryo axis in the first 24 h of imbibition. It was localized in the integumental cells of palisade, pigmented and aleurone layers and in epidermal, meristematic, procambial cells and xylem elements of the root and hypocotyl after 48 h of imbibition. POD activity increased during germination and early seedling growth: in the integument, it reached a maximum value after 72 h of imbibition, in the embryo axis and cotyledons, it increased up to 144 h of imbibition. The increase in peroxidase activity was accompanied by the appearance of new isozymes correlated with the development of seedling tissues. The isozyme profile was characterized by nine peroxidases: isoperoxidase of 50 kDa peculiar to integuments, that of 150 kDa to cotyledons and that of 82 kDa to the embryo axis. During pregerminative phase isozymes of 84 kDa were detected in the integument and cotyledons, of 48.5 kDa in the embryo axis. After germination, peroxidase activity and the complexity of the isozyme pattern increased, suggesting that they play a relevant role after rupture of the integument

LA COLLEZIONE DI FAGIOLI DELLA BANCA VIVENTE DEL GERMOPLASMA VEGETALE DEI NEBRODI (UCRIA, MESSINA)

Nell\u2019ambito delle attivit\ue0 di promozione della conservazione della biodiversit\ue0 vegetale in Sicilia, l\u2019Orto Botanico di Palermo ha sviluppato una serie di progetti, alcuni dei quali in collaborazione con gli enti gestori di aree protette. Fra di essi rientra la realizzazione di una banca vivente del germoplasma vegetale, organizzata ad Ucria, in provincia di Messina, in collaborazione con il Parco regionale dei Nebrodi. Oltre a una considerevole collezione di fruttiferi anticamente coltivati e reperiti nelle campagne siciliane, il patrimonio di agrobiodiversit\ue0 della Banca, comprende variet\ue0 di piante ortive tra cui emerge la collezione di fagioli, risultato di una attenta esplorazione del territorio. Obbiettivo di questa specifica raccolta \ue8 stato quello di valorizzare il patrimonio agro-alimentare delle comunit\ue0 locali, mediante il recupero di cultivar autoctone o in via di estinzione

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies – Organic Agriculture

This psoter presents information on the following - The concept of organic farming in the context of climate change - Carbon sequestration on organic farms - Consequences of an area-wide conversion to organic agricultur

THE BOTANICAL GARDEN \u201cBERNARDINO DA UCRIA\u201d IN THE NATURAL PARK OF THE NEBRODI (SICILY) AND ITS MISSION TO CONSERVE, EXPLOIT AND SPREAD LOCAL AGROBIODIVERTITY AND OFFICINAL PLANTS

In Sicily, the academic botanical gardens of Catania, Messina and Palermo have been historically exerting a multiplicity of activities ranging from maintenance of ex situ collections to plant conservation policy, practice and ecological restoration, along with more traditional functions related to education and academic research. In the last decade\u2019s, two new botanical gardens the \u201cNuova Gussonea\u201d and the \u201cBernardino da Ucria, were created in Sicily, with the aim to play more delimited, yet modern and complementary roles. The garden \u201cNuova Gussonea\u201d, within the Etna Natural Park, is mostly devoted to collect and preserve the native flora of the Mount Etna, with a special focus on endemic and rare plants and their promotion to a wider public. The garden \u201cBernardino da Ucria\u201d, in the Nebrodi Natural Park, is mainly specialized in promoting the local culture and to collect and preserve the agro-biodiversity of officinal plants in the Nebrodi territory. It is located in the homonymous village in the Messina district where the famous \u201cdemonstrator of plants\u201d and co founder of the Botanical Garden of Palermo University was born. Noteworthy, within Sicily the Nebrodi area is undoubtedly the widest and richest in traditional activities regarding agriculture, sheep farming and sylviculture, which produced an agrobiodiversity heritage often representative of individual community cultures. Initially promoted by Palermo University and sustained by the Nebrodi Regional Park, this garden comprises the \u201cBanca vivente del Germoplasma vegetale dei Nebrodi\u201d. Accessions conserved in vivo so far include cultivars of crops (Corylus, Pyrus, Malus, Prunus sp. pl, Ficus, Juglans), vegetables (Phaseolus and Lycopersicum) and officinal plants, that are in part representative of local agricultural practices. Among crops, the collections of Ficus, Pyrus and Corylus are remarkable; while among vegetables, the beans (Phaseolus) are represented by over 65 distinct cultivars, comprising 57 climbing and 8 dwarf species (1). Additionally, the garden\u2019s bank hosts several botanical collections unrelated to the local flora, representative of officinal and ornamental genus, such as Salvia, Helleborus, Paeonia and Camelia. The cryopreserved accessions so far encompass the bean cultivars, mainly found within the Nebrodi Park area. The aim of this particular collection is to further exploit the local agricultural and food heritage by recovering and spreading among local farmers of autochthonous cultivars under extinction risk. Moreover, the garden has recently been equipped with a molecular biology laboratory, performing studies on the genetic diversity of the accessions, as well as activities instrumental to the creation of a related DNA bank, interconnected with the Palermo Botanical garden bank (HBP-Bank). In 2011, the botanical garden of Ucria hosted the Summer School \u201cKnowledge, conservation and management of plant biodiversity of the Mediterranean mountain systems\u201d, organized by Palermo University together with OPTIMA, and financially sponsored by the Nebrodi Park. Similarly, the Summer School \u201cManagement of plant biodiversity in the Mediterranean: ex situ conservation and germplasm banks\u201d will be held in 2016. The activities of the new Ucria botanical garden and its germplasm bank, is supported by a dedicated Consortium, established by the Nebrodi Park together with Palermo University. The botanical garden \u201cBernardino da Ucria\u201d is open to public in the spring and summer period. It is also offering didactic visits for educational purposes to several schools

Plant Conservation Centres in Sicily: The ‘Valle Maria’ Regional Centre (Godrano, Palermo) and the case study of the rare Centaurea erycina (Asteraceae).

The role of the ‘Valle Maria’ Regional Centre and its activity in plant conservation thank to the collaboration with the University of Palermo, Dept. STEBICEF is discussed. The case study on propagation of Centaurea erycina, a narrow Sicilian endemic is presented

Effects of ageing on peroxidase activity and localization in radish ( Raphanus sativus L.) seeds

Peroxidase activity was assayed in crude extracts of integument, cotyledons and embryo axis of radish seeds, deteriorated under accelerated ageing conditions. Over five days of ageing, in which germination decreased from 100 to 52%, the enzyme activity in integument was higher than that in other seed parts, increasing in the first days of ageing and then decreasing sharply in extremely aged seeds. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis showed four peroxidase isoenzymes with MM of 98, 52.5, 32.8 and 29.5 kDa in the embryo axis of unaged seeds, and only the 32.8 and 29.5 kDa MM isoforms in the integument and cotyledons. In these parts of the seed, only the 29.5 kDa MM isoenzyme increased in activity in early days of ageing and decreased thereafter. In the embryo axis, the 29.5 kDa MM isoenzyme activity increased slowly in the first day of ageing, while the 98 and 52.5 kDa MM isoenzyme activities disappeared. A cytochemical localization of peroxidase activity in the various tissues showed that main differences between unaged and extremely aged seeds occurred in the embryo axis